Amelia Cutting
Iceland briefly believed that it had made history by electing Europe’s first female-majority parliament, however, a recount of votes showed that it had fallen short.
Early results had shown that women had won 33 out of the 60 seats; however, they had only won 30. This 50% threshold has not been breached by any European country to date.
Before the recount, President Gudni Johannesson said: “In a historical and international light, the most significant news is that women are now first time in majority in the Icelandic parliament, and a first in Europe. This is good news.”
Iceland elects Europe's first female majority parliament https://t.co/kFPxESvaya
— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) September 26, 2021
Iceland, a North Atlantic island, has a voting system that is divided into six regions. It was after a tight contest in the North West constituency that the recount in Western Iceland was held, changing the female-majority victory.
The head of the electoral commission in Iceland, said: “We decided to hold a recount because the result was so close.”
There are only 5 countries where women hold at least half of the seats: Rwanda, Cuba, Nicaragua, Mexico and the United Arab Emirates. The results do mean, however, a further six women have been elected to Iceland’s parliament, but the majority of seats are still held by men.
“It is no longer acceptable to ignore gender equality when selecting candidates“
Gender equality in Iceland
Iceland has been considered a leader in gender equality for a long time. For the 12th year running it was ranked the most gender-equal nation in the world in a World Economic Forum report released in March.
The first law on equal pay for men and women in Iceland dates back to 1961 and the same parental leave is offered to men and women. In 1980 it was the first country to elect a female president too.
Silja Bara Omarsdottir, a politics professor, said the gender quotas implemented by left-leaning parties over the last ten years have managed to create a new norm across Iceland’s political spectrum. “It is no longer acceptable to ignore gender equality when selecting candidates”, she said.
Climate change was also a high ranker on the election agenda: a warm summer and shrinking glaciers in Iceland have helped create a greater urgency, driving climate action up the political agenda.
Who are the current government?
The current government consists of a coalition of the Left-Green Party, led by Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir, the conservative Independence Party and the Progressive Party.
The Left-Green Movement only won eight seats, three fewer than they did in 2017. The Independence Party took the largest share of votes with a win of 16 seats, and the Progressive Party won 13 seats- the biggest gain.
The three parties are yet to announce whether they will work together for another term. It could take weeks for a new government to be formed and announced.
Featured image courtesy of Arnaud Jaegers via Unsplash. Image licence can be found here. No changes were made to this image.
Amelia Cutting
I'm Amelia- a graduate from the University of Leeds and current NCTJ Level 5 Diploma student!